Share this:

Probably, Roger Federer needed four-time defending champion Rafael Nadal out of the way to finally win a French Open Sunday.Then again,Federer also has needed two Wimbledon finals wins and four Roland Garros losses to Nadal to move to the head of all discussions as to who is the best male tennis player ever.

In this sport especially, it’s all about the rivals .

Pete Sampras, who was tied Sunday by Federer for all time slam wins with 14, had Andge Agassi (a career slam among his eight major titles). Rod Lavar had 12-time slam champion Ken Rosewall. But, not knowing how many championships Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe took from each other by the accident of birth, can you just go by numbers of titles?

Laver who won all four slams in 1962 before going off to earn a living on the pro circuit, won another grand slam within a year after the open era began. So who knows how many Laver would have earned beyond his 11 total, just like who knows what he or Bill Tilden would have accomplished with today’s rackets, or today’s mania for conditioning or, conversely, against today’s greater depth of competition?

But, assuming Federer, who has won the one French Open title that Sampras never did (or only once reasonably approached) takes just one more Slam, the argument really will be Laver vs. Federer, both players for all surfaces. Quite the argument it should be, too, the Laver Gap being huge, but still not the only consideration.

I’m almost as blown away with Jack Nicklaus’s 19 second places in majors as I am his record 18 championships. Both numbers reflect not just Nicklaus’s incredible consistency but the calibre of his competition (Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Julius Boros),.

Andy Roddick, a one-time slam winner, and two time Wimvbledon finals loser to Federer is no Gary Player, which left Federer in dire need of a perfectly good nemesis until Nadal broke through in finals against Roger at Wimbledon (2008) and Australia (2009)

Assuming good health, Nadal, with five slams already at age 23, will make a run at 14. But a consistent disappointment at Fiushing Meadow, and a loser in the third round this year on the Roland Garros clay he has domnated, will Nadal ever have the run that Federer has had with 20 straight semifinal appearances and counting, or with hisi mind-boggling just two semifinal absences since winning his first major in 2003?

For the record, Laver was runner up six times in slams. Federer, so far, five times. Had Robin Soderling slammed closed the door of wondrous, probably, final, opportunity for Federer on Suday, close wouldn’t have counted . But in the long run, you can make an argument for it.